Steam dome



Sept. 27, 1938.

J. C. MARIS STEAM DOME Filed March 4, 1957 Ill ,4 @,yl. A TORNEY .large opening in the boiler shell.

Patented Sept. 27, 1938 pruritov STATES 7 Claims. (el. 12a- 50st, This invention relates generally to a combined v dome and dry pipe arrangement for steam locomotives, and itis one object of my invention to provide an improved dome that is relatively shallow but of large area and is so constructed and arranged as to have great strength together with requiring an opening in the boiler shell of less area than that of the dome.

While a great many dome and dry pipe ar- `rangements have heretofore been proposed and used, yet for the most part they have requiredr of thefboil'erlshelland 'the-innersurface ofthe either excessive heightv which makes them un` suitable for large diameter boilers, or they are complicated in structure or require an excessively My present invention overcomes these objections to the prior art arrangements as will be more readily appreciated from the following description of the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a front portion of a locomotive embodying my improved dome;

Fig. 2 is a transverse section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

In the particular embodiment of the invention such as is disclosed herein merely for the purpose of illustrating one specific form among possible others that the invention might take in practice, I have shown in Fig. 1 a locomotive which can be of any conventional type having a boiler I and a steam dome 2 from which dry steam is conducted through a pipe 3 to sets of cylinders 4 and 5. The particular locomotive shown is of the four-cylinder type which necessarily involves a relatively large boiler. Such large boilers present the serious problem of maintaining the overall dimensions of the locomotive within the fixed clearances defined by existing railroad standards.

To permit the use of a large size boiler within the clearance limits, I have provided an improved shallow dome without sacricing the effective area thereof and without involving a large opening in the boiler shell to receive the connecting pipe. The dome consists preferably of a casing having a flange 6 conforming to the cylindrical shape of the boiler and a relatively flat top 'I which is provided with a depressed portion 8 for receiving an inspection plug 9. The dome is substantially circular in plan view and non-circular in vertical section. The dome is of very appreciable diameter and to prevent upward bulging of the at top l, I provide a series of vertical webs I connected to the dome side walls Il and top I from which the websdepend with 'an inwardly 1 extending wide 'arcIZ to'apoint inside of the' boiler.` These webs-fare therebyrecessed on their outer edges. To-further strengthen thisrweb construction, a circular radial Vflange I3 connects 5 lit the lower ends ofthe webs-while a substantially cylindricalalthougl slightly lconical voutlet passage wall-I4 extendsYfrom-flange Y I 3 upwardly to a curvedsurface I5; 'This'lsurface' extends horizontally between the `successive webs at a point 10# substantially-midway between "the outer surface attop-'L kAnyusual type ofsteam pipe I6' and elbow` I1 may-be connectedtof the flange I3 by usualbolts-If''f f As fla. `res'ult of the" dome yconstruction herein disclosed, it is seen that the opening-lef intheboiler shell is of appreciably smaller diameter than the inside diameter of dome 2, thereby insuring maximum strength of the boiler notwith- 20 standing that a relatively large dome is employed. Also, and notwithstanding the relatively shallow depth of the dome, it is seen that a maximum passage area leads up to the top of the dome and thence downwardly over the edge I5 to the 25 steam pipe. These improved results are obtained in a dome of maximum'strength due to the cooperative relation between the series of vertical webs I0, the ange I3 and the passage wall I 4 whereby the webs are positively held against 30 inward movement as the steam pressure is exerted against the relatively flat top 'I.Y As a consequence, the top 1 is prevented from any tendency to bulge out.

From the foregoing disclosure, it is seen that I have provided a highly desirable form of dome and dry pipe outlet that is fully adapted for economical construction and maintenance and is exceedingly well adapted to present day large size boilers without in any way sacrlcing the quality 40 of steam.

It will of course be understood that various changes in details of construction and arrangement of parts may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination, a boiler shell having an opening, a steam dome of larger diameter than said opening having an outlet passage Whose upper end is in communication with said boiler and whose lower end extends downwardly through said opening for downward communication with a steam supply pipe located inside of the boiler, and vertical webs connecting thewalls ofV said passage with said dome, said webs being arranged so that steam flows upwardly around both sides thereof and thence downwardly into the upper endrof said outlet passage.

2. A steam dome having a relatively flat top portion, an outlet passage wall having an upper end spaced from said flat top and in communication with said boiler and having a lower end extending downwardly for downward communication with the steam supply pipe connected thereto, and vertical webs connecting said fiat top with said passage wall, said webs being arranged so that steam flows upwardly around both sides thereof and thence downwardly into the upper end of said outlet passage.

3. A steam dome having a flanged base and a relatively fiat top with connecting sides, a wall forming an outlet passage projecting upwardly into said dome but spaced from the top thereof, and vertical webs connecting the top and sides of said dome with the outer surface of said passage wall, said webs being so arranged that steam flows upwardly around both sides thereof and thence downwardly into the upper end of said outlet passage.

4. A steam dome having a flanged base and a relatively flat top with connecting sides, a wall forming an outlet passage projecting upwardly into said dome but spaced from the top thereof, vertical webs connecting the top and sides of said dome with the outer surface of said passage wall, said webs being arranged so that steam flows upwardly around both sides thereof and thence downwardly into the upper end of said outlet pas- Lsage, and a radial flange surrounding the upper end of said outlet passage connecting the ends of said webs.

5. A steam dome having a flanged base and a relatively flat top with connecting sides, a wall forming an outlet passage projecting upwardly into said dome but spaced from the top thereof, and vertical webs connecting the top and sides of said dome with the outer surface of said passage wall, said webs having recessed outer edges extending substantially from the lower ends of the webs to the sides of said dome.

6. A steamdome having a flanged base and a relatively flat top with connecting sides, a wall forming an outlet passage projecting upwardly into said dome but spaced from the top thereof, andfvertical webs connecting the top and sides of said dome with the outer surface of said passage wall, said webs being arranged so that steam ows upwardly around both sides thereof and thence downwardly. into the upper end of said outlet passage, said top having a central portion depressed toward the center o-f said outlet passage.

7. A steam dome having a anged base and a relatively fiat top with connecting sides, a wall forming an outlet passage projecting upwardly into said dome but spaced from the top thereof, vertical webs connecting the top and sides of said dome with the outer surface of said passage wall, said webs being arranged so that steam flows upwardly around both sides thereof and thence downwardly into the upper Vend of said outlet passage, said top having-a lcentral portion depressed toward the center of said outlet passage, and said webs being connected to said depressed central portion.

JAMEStC. MARIS. 

